life coaching

Start hugging and be huggable

Have you been to the International arrivals terminal at an airport recently? Quite often you’ll see the sign holders and the flower bringers.

What you are guaranteed to see are lots of hugs! BIG juicy ones.

Ones where you sway (or bob) quickly from side to side. Ones where someone is getting whisked off their feet. Ones where they close their eyes and just squeeze. There are no shortage of hugs at the airport.

So, are you getting hugged enough in your daily life?

Touch has been studied at length and we now know that parents are encouraged to touch their babies in NICU as often as possible. And isn’t it somewhat inherent to want to reach out and touch someone when you see pain or suffering?

Excitement too makes us want to reach out and grab someone to release and share that positive energy.

“So, how do I get me some more hugging?” you may be thinking.

Well just like most things, it must start with you. As long as you can read social cues, and it is appropriate, try being liberal giving out hugs. It may feel awkward at first but as you get to be known as a hugger more people will come at you with open arms.

Make sure you cuddle / snuggle / hug those closest to you.
It’s a major connector, and connecting with people should be a priority in my opinion.

When my daughter was in Kindergarten she came home singing a song that went something like;

“Love is a gift that if you give it away it will come right back to you!”

So start hugging!!

I’m guessing; you’re too soft

I’m not talking soft around the middle, although who doesn’t wish for some extra firmness around there?!? I’m talking about softening the negative stuff so you don’t have to do anything about it.

Some of my clients are extremely motivated to make big changes, and the more honest they are, the better their results. Easy – yes? Well actually no!

It is much easier to soften the edges of a hard truth.

The self care swing says “don’t be so hard on yourself”, “be kind”, “be gently”. All good advise, just not when you are trying to make a change.

Lets take that soft middle that we started out talking about. If you really want to lose 40lbs then softening the edges, by reasoning that you still have a month until summer, or that you aren’t as heavy as your sister, or that your yoga pants still fit so all can’t be that bad, lets you off the hook. It lessens your resolve to change.

So, what’s a girl with a tendency for softness to do?

What about this for a visual? A board of Snakes and Ladders.

The winning square on the board is the change you want to happen. The snakes are all the pitfalls on the way there that slide you in the opposite direction of where you want to be.

When you reach a square with the head of a snake you must:
1. Be aware. The snake is a snake and not a fun slide with a foam pit at the bottom – no more softening – it WILL take you in the wrong direction.
2. Remember. What makes climbing the ladders worthwhile? What is it you want and why is it important to you?
3. Check your thoughts. What thoughts do you need to be having to carry out the actions that will keep you climbing?

We all wish our progress looked like a steady straight line incline to our ultimate goal but real life looks a lot more like a game of Snakes and Ladders.

The beauty of real life is that you have a lot more control than the roll of a dice.

So, keep it real and honest. Plan for the climbs and welcome the challenges. It all starts with a change in mind.

Do the work. You’re worth it.

Hugs, Vicky.

Happy New You

I don’t think you are appreciating how spectacular you are.

I’m just guessing here, but I’m thinking you have a lot going on. Like, all the time.

Are you even getting an uninterrupted sleep? And you can’t even blame it on the baby anymore.

It’s no wonder you are spacing out using TV, facebook, a glass of wine, whatever, to distract from the overwhelm.

However, if, like me, you’ve had an inkling that you are ready to start in a new direction, then there’s no better time to commit to doing this for yourself.

Make 2014 a year to put a bit of focus back on you. Get to know yourself a bit better. You’ll need to get quiet and listen to yourself, it’ll take some effort but will be SOOO worth it.

But, don’t listen to me. Try getting quiet, no numbing spacing out distractions, and listen in to yourself one time.

I’ll be right here when you are ready to discuss.

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